


Gourmet Ripper

by hasarena



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tokyo Ghoul, Blood, Cannibalism, Crossover, Future Fic, Gore, Gruesome Murders, Hannibal - Freeform, M/M, Nightmares, Porn in Later Chapters, Shironeki | White-haired Kaneki, Slow Build, Tokyo Ghoul Character in Hannibal world, Tokyo Ghoul: re
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-16
Updated: 2015-08-06
Packaged: 2018-04-09 15:57:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4355219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hasarena/pseuds/hasarena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU of Tokyo Ghoul characters in Hannibal universe.</p><p>More than 12 years since the attack on Anteiku, a new ghoul-friendly drug is invented.  This new drug allows ghouls to consume human food and allows them to integrate into human society more effectively without the CCG or the public knowing.</p><p>Haise Sasaki is a retired investigator, now a CCG academy professor and a ghoul profiler. Due to psychological trauma, hunger as a half-ghoul, and nightmares from his past, he is referred to a new psychiatrist, Dr Shuu Tsukiyama.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TamadAko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TamadAko/gifts).



> This is a crossover between Hannibal and Tokyo Ghoul. Basically, Tokyo Ghoul characters in Hannibal roles. Hannibal characters will not appear here though. It is now a decade or so after Kaneki “died” and became Haise Sasaki.  
> Haise is 32-33 while Tsukiyama is 35ish.

Doctor Touka Kirishima sits quietly on a stool, long legs crossed underneath her, watching her mentor move elegantly across the kitchen counter. He looks fine, as he expertly cuts the meat to the tune of Chopin’s Prelude number 13 in F sharp major, adding spices with a flick of his hand.

She wonders how amusing it is to now be sipping blood beer leisurely, sitting comfortably in the immaculate kitchen of this man— who in her younger years, she would not go near with a ten-foot Quinque coated pole.

Doctor Shuu Tsukiyama is a lot of things for her now; a friend is the kindest explanation she can give for what their relationship is. An honest explanation would be something else entirely. They share certain wounds and secrets that no other human or ghoul alike have experienced. From their mutual loss, they formed a reluctant bond, and from that, a companionship and trust forged by melancholy.

Being a ghoul and having a well established career is no easy feat. You would have to have certain backing and influence to lie undetected by the CCG for being discovered means death. The Tsukiyama family influence in the human society has indeed given her advantages that an orphaned ghoul like herself could not have dreamed of. It was more opportunities than Anteiku could have ever offered her. The Tsukiyama’s patronage over her education and forging a new identity few years after Anteiku’s fall enabled her to get her doctorate in psychiatry from a prestigious university, following the footsteps of her mentor. Perhaps their main reason for choosing the field is also caused by the same person—Ken Kaneki.

Somewhere in her head, she was wondering if whether being more attentive or careful could have prevented Kaneki’s descent into madness? Could she have possibly helped him when he was walking to his death? A few years later, as she finds out that he is alive, she wonders if she could possibly help this new person to remember who he was? But that gave her more questions, wondering if the person he is now would want to remember his own past or just ignore it and live blissfully. Now being a psychiatrist -- Haise's official psychiatrist in fact—she continues to ask herself if she is helping him or does her priorities already lie elsewhere with the newfound freedom she has?

Truthfully, what really helped her climb this far up masquerading as a human, and even bold enough to work as a psychology professor and as a consultant for CCG’s Ghoul Behavioral Science Unit is the discovery of RCQ drug.

RCQ is a secret ghoul-friendly RC suppressant designed to give ghouls the ability to digest human food and consume human flesh more sparingly. It is the first of its kind that is not harmful to ghouls because a ghoul made it and not in some CCG lab designed to incapacitate them. This drug also makes them able to pass ghoul sensors. In fact, unless a ghoul releases their kagune, kakugan or underwent any X-ray or MRIs to detect their kakuhous or kagune sacs, it is hard to distinguish a ghoul regularly taking the RCQ drug from humans.

This drug is of course not without side effects. A ghoul’s ability to release their kagune is limited down to about 30%, leaving the ghoul defenseless and without the natural biological protection that nature has given them.

Digestive capacity of their stomachs is also small, needing to eat only once a day. They still need human meat but they now have the option of cooking and garnishing it with other non-human ingredients. RCQ is distributed in the ghoul black market carefully and is designed for those who want to integrate into human society peacefully. Its existence is but a vague rumor to the CCG and the human public; its production is strictly controlled.

Who knew that that shitty Nishio, or more commonly known as the Serpent Doctor, would actually discover something so remarkable that could affect the life of all ghouls? Production of this drug would not have been possible without the financial support and connection that Shuu has given them. The existence of this drug is quite the opposite agenda of the Aogiri tree whose constant battles with the CCG in the 20 wards in Tokyo are always in the news. Thank god she moved out of there. Certain precautions were made to make sure the origin and distribution of the drug is done in utter secrecy.

The oven beeped and the savory smell of the home cooked meal filled the immaculate kitchen. Dinner is ready.

With a commanding presence, wearing an apron snug at his waist, gray slacks, a white button up shirt and gray vest, Doctor Shuu Tsukiyama took out the freshly baked crisp lemon liver and laid it on top of a garnished plate. He carried both plates, his sleeves rolled up his elbows showing the firm muscles of his arms. You can say that he is now truly a gourmet and not only dreaming of varying flavors to grace his palate. With the crescendo of the music dying, the older doctor made the smallest of smile at Touka. His expression is controlled, the smile not reaching his eyes. It was quite a contrast from the dramatic demeanor of the young aspiring gourmet she met in her youth. Shuu stood wordlessly beside her, urging her to follow them to the dining room.

☪ ☪ ☪

It is a few minutes after 8 and they were in the last course of the meal. They sat in the luxurious dining room of Shuu’s home, the whole place exuding opulence and fine, if not eccentric taste in art. The candles were lit, Chopin playing in the background and a heavy air of a conversation they need to have—but not having— hangs in the air.

Eating cooked food like this seems like a dream a few years ago without the RCQ drug, but now, every meal and every new flavor bursting from their mouths feels sacred. The meal was exquisite as always, she holds back on the complements knowing that too much will make her mentor’s head too big. With the meal done and the cool dessert in their mouths, conversing about what they really need to talk about is unavoidable.

“I’m going to refer him,” Touka said breaking the silence, as she finished her blood sorbet. She leaned to the back of her chair, looking calm and professional with her black and white cardigan and legs crossed under her pencil skirt.

The man at the head of the table wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at her with a slight inclination of his head signaling a question, feigning lack of interest.

“You know who. Who else?” she retorted.

With a sigh, Shuu said in an even emotionless tone, “You know better than to get involve with him in the first place. I advised you against it and told you how unethical it was. Why, has something happened?”

Touka avoided the question, knowing full well that Shuu knows something bad happened to him-- Haise. That guy is in too deep and he is doing nothing to prevent himself from drowning. He is even entertaining the idea of adopting another liability much worse than another stray dog. He is getting too close.

“I’m going to refer him to you. I want you to help him,” she said, drinking another gulp of her exquisite blood beer. The beer Shuu has especially prepared for her in his cellar, letting it ferment for two years, and she guesses was in a cask lined with human flesh. It was simply too good.

All of these new liberties have made her think. Perhaps her initial desire to save that person has dwindled, or it was fruitless and now she still cares, but her feelings are not as deep anymore.

“You know, there is a reason why I have avoided him after all these years. I don’t think it is wise for me to be his psychiatrist now, ” came the curt response. Once perhaps the purple haired man was a more open individual, but with all the things that happened in the last decade, responsibility and his profession has urged him to be in firm control of his emotions. He called it _maturity,_ but the younger doctor thinks he’s just sweeping dust under a rug and not coming into terms with it on his own.

“Ah, you mean your little episode spanning what, 2-3 years of social isolation and depression, locked in your room and refusing to eat properly?” Touka smirked, knowing that digging up old memories always unnerved the other doctor.

Shuu acknowledged the folly in his younger self’s actions as he closed his eyes a few seconds longer than he should. “Yes, thank you for reminding me. That and as I have said, it is unethical and unhealthy to treat a patient you were involved with previously, regardless if they have memory of it or not. It will bring unnecessary complications that could simply be avoided. ”

“Are you saying that to convince me or to convince yourself?” she smiled as she played with the now empty glass in her hands. “It’s too late, I already told Mado. He’ll probably visit you tomorrow to tell you. That old bastard is pushing him too hard and wants him back examining crime scenes. There is a reason why he left his job as an Associate Special Class Investigator. He didn’t want to kill, stab or pull the trigger whatever they are.”

“Honestly, I am surprised they even left him alive after leaving Tokyo. Probably addled his brain enough to make sure he will not turn on them.” Shuu said nonchalantly, taking another spoonful of his unfinished sorbet.

“Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“Pretending not to care. Disassociating yourself as if he means nothing to you. I may be the one who became friendly with him now, but I’m not the one wasting precious corpses and designing them to lead to you like breadcrumbs, wishing to get his attention. I know you're the Gourmet Ripper, no matter how an ideal ghoul who integrated to human society you pretend to be. ”

Yes, he is guilty of _that_ but he must digress. “I have to make the GBSU do something, at least. The CCG Investigators gets all the hungry city ghouls; the GBSU gets the artistic, corpse waster ones in rural areas. They specialize in tracking ghouls integrated into society, hence the behavioral part of needing to understand us. If it weren’t for people like me you’d be unemployed. We don’t want that, do we Dr Kirishima?”

Touka crossed her arms, eyeing the man with disapproval. Shuu, being very familiar of that look and only ever got the receiving end of it a handful of times is a telling sign that the young doctor is serious.

It has been more than 10 years. Surely, he has had enough time to face him. He built enough walls and made a strong enough person suit to wear and feign indifference. He admires the young doctor for her ability to adjust. After getting her credentials, she dove right in and followed that guy in the GBSU. Befriended him and helped him as his psychiatrist. Him on the other hand, avoided that Haise Sasaki altogether and ignoring his existence. Now he thinks, maybe it is time.

“Very well. I will see him.”

☪ ☪ ☪


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haise is hungry, mentally unstable, slightly psychic (lol no :D ) and gets to meet the doctor.

With the back of his head pounding with a headache, Haise Sasaki downs his third cup of coffee for the morning. Its desired effect was not to wake him up, but to fill him enough until the next discreet package of approved meat from the CCG is delivered to his house. Hopefully this time, his pet dogs will leave it alone. It’s not as if he is not spoiling them with good food. Heck, they eat better than him. He just wants them to stay away from his food.

Today was his first day back teaching after his boss told him to rest due to the possible psychological trauma he may experience after the shooting incident. This was because the last crime scene he went to ended bad, with him having to shoot a perp who was about to kill his own daughter. The worst thing was that the man was not even a ghoul. The whole place was engulfed in a fire after he killed the father and managed to save the daughter. There was something off with the whole situation and it has been giving him nightmares. He wants to check on that girl to see if she is all right. He thinks he should’ve taken that extra week off after all.

He wasn’t this fragile before, really. Killing ghouls was his former job in the CCG but he doesn’t want to be doing any of that anymore. The reason he transferred out of the CCG branch in Tokyo is that he doesn’t want to kill anybody— human, ghouls, and anything in between. Not with what happened to his former squad. He wanted a fresh new start where nobody knows who or what he is. This is why he agreed to become a professor and teach students about ghoul crime psychology at a university. He usually enjoys teaching even if nobody laughs at his puns. Nobody told him he would still end up getting roped into doing analysis at crime scenes by a different branch of the CCG, the Ghoul Behavioral Science Unit. He should thank Akira for this recommendation no doubt.

GBSU is a new branch of CCG made to handle ghoul incidents requiring more tact than bust the door and attack. They specialize on ghouls who have integrated in human society. The ghouls they catch here are often treated more like human serial killers because they do not necessarily kill their victims to eat the body, they kill them and display the dead bodies.

The ghouls being tracked by the GBSU often work alone and do not care much for territories like in the 20 wards in Tokyo. The CCG branches in Tokyo are more focused in organized ghoul organizations like Aogiri or the Clowns. Regardless of how he doesn’t want to get involved with killing anybody anymore, he cannot stand innocents getting killed. He works for the GBSU as a consultant ghoul criminal profiler; basically, he tries to understand what’s happening inside a ghoul’s head to solve a case. The problem is, his empathy and being an artificial half-ghoul himself makes him understand them a little too much.

Haise tries to make the best of this morning and continues grading papers on his desk. He still has 3 hours before his next class. Honestly, where do these students get their sources? These papers are just making his headache worse. He lifted his glasses and closed his eyes to rub them. He often feels a sharp throbbing pain at the back of his eyes when he gets a headache like this. This is not just a headache; it’s one of those nightmares that haunt him even if awake.

He sees it unfold before his open eyes. Hunger paired with his own brand of crazy does not mix well together. One slow blink and another transports him from his desk to somewhere else entirely. One moment he was in his office, the next he was in a place he has never been to but knows quite well.

 

_The space is filled with warped black and white checkered tiles extending to the ceiling. The vast empty space of nothingness twists and churns as if it is alive and darkness looming in the corner of his eyes. In this vision, he sees a woman sitting on a chair. It was that same woman he has seen here before._

_Her face was covered with her hair and hands, and her white dress was immaculate while sitting on a chair on top of a pool of blood. He tries to go closer but an adult man’s hands stops him. He was spun around to face him. Suddenly, they are in a kitchen but the same black and white tiles are on the floor._

_It was Fueguchi. He was the man who he shot ten times with Quinque bullets when he was about to gut his daughter. They were human and not ghouls so killing him should’ve felt more devastating for him but it didn’t. It felt just._

_He was struggling with Fueguchi now, the man’s arms was around his neck to strangle him._

_No, he was not himself anymore. Haise sees the event through Fueguchi’s eyes. He was him._

_He was Fueguchi and he was holding a knife against his daughter’s throat. She was struggling. He was feeling anxious and scared. It won’t come out! Why can’t he use it now? They will not like this. He is afraid and helpless. They are coming for him. They know what he is. The person on the phone said so. He hears the door break. They are here now. He held his daughter’s neck tighter against the knife._

_BANG! Came the first shot. He slices his daughter’s neck. She falls on the floor bleeding._

_BANG! BANG! Came the second and third shot. It was all happening so fast. His daughter’s warm blood oozed down to his hands as he leans on the kitchen counter. The hot seething punctures on his skin were painful._

_BANG! BANG! He feels numb. His body feels on fire with various bullets embedding on his skin everywhere. He falls on the floor, dying._

_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Came the series of shots for the obviously dead man on the floor. Staring with milky empty eyes at the person who shot him._

_Fire was engulfing everything._

_The girl was unconscious and bleeding. The pool of blood smells like…_

 

“SASAKI!” Mado bellowed, snapping Haise from his nightmare. He startled awake grabbing his desk afraid he would fall from his chair. He could still hear the sound of the gun ringing in his ears, the bullet casings hitting the tiled floor. He could feel the vibration on his arms, the jerk of his hands, the recoil of firing the gun and the heat of the fire everywhere.

He took a deep breath to ground himself in this reality. He was panting hard.

He moved his black rimmed glasses up from his face and rubbed his eyes. He is definitely not having a good morning. He should have just stayed at home with his dogs and slept in.

His boss was standing in front of his desk, observing him with a stern and somewhat worried face. Kureo Mado, the head of the GBSU is also Haise’s previous superior’s father. He is not as pleasing to look at like Akira, but he is as tenacious. He is old with white hair and a scary face, but he is said to be like a bulldog once he has evidence on a criminal. He never lets go and this is the same for people he knows could help the case, he never lets them go either. He is known for his intuition and strong drive for justice. He was once an investigator at the main CCG branch, but retired from it and moved to the GBSU.

“You were dreaming with your eyes open,” Mado slowly said. “Did you see Fueguchi burn?”

Haise scratched the back of his head and flashed a smile. He felt embarrassed that they caught him during one of his nightmares. He can’t really help it with all the stress he is going through lately. He also knows he looks like a mess with his poofy hair, dark baggy eyes, and plaid shirt— and are those dog hairs on his shirt? He remembers picking the shirt up from the floor this morning.

All he can really do is smile and make puns. Hide all the sick and ugly behind humor. Hiding behind a smile and saying everything is all right is his usual response when somebody is worried about him. But right now, he’s still somewhat groggy from the lucid dream and can’t make himself lie.

He did see Fueguchi, he was him in his dreams. He just felt what the man felt during the last minute of his life; fear, anxiety and being showered with bullets.

In the corner of his eye, another person moved beside Mado. It was Doctor Touka Kirishima, his psychiatrist. She looked pretty as ever with her red dress and black blazer, observing him.

“Haise, hello. It’s nice to see you back.” She said in greeting. Concern was also in her eyes. She gave a little side look at Mado, as if they just had a previous conversation about him and here he was showing them how mentally unstable he truly is.

“It’s been almost a week since the Fueguchi case. We have more bodies waiting to be analyzed, more crime scenes that will happen that needs your expertise. We need you back in the team ASAP,” Mado said before he can return his good doctor’s greeting.

Haise gave another smile and scratched his chin. “You know I want to help, Mado, but I really don’t think I can even pass the psych eval Doctor Kirishima will give me. As you have err… seen. I also have a class in,” he looked at the clock, “10 minutes?” Sudden realization on how long he had his nightmare struck him. He was shoving the essay papers he was grading back in his bag, giving his doctor another smile to cover how shitty he feels. He is sweating so much he needs a shower.

The younger doctor gave another side look at Mado before saying, “Haise, I’m not the one who will give you the psych eval. I’m referring you to a new psychiatrist who I believe is much more capable in helping you. I’m here because Mado has asked me to cover your next class. ”

“In my office, Sasaki. Now. We have a lead on the Fueguchi case.” With that, his boss walked away, knowing full well that he will follow.

Haise stood up and thanked the doctor for covering his class. Normally, he isn’t so formal with Touka because they are friends. When he moved away from the CCG and from Tokyo, he found a nice little house in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a forest. He then started collecting stray dogs and taking care of them. He now has 7 of them. Having befriended his psychiatrist and having 7 dogs probably speaks a lot about his social circles.

Before leaving, he then remembers the Fueguchi girl and decided to ask. “Touka, has the girl Hinami Fueguchi woken up yet? Can you tell me when she does? I’d like to talk to her.”

Touka gave him a thoughtful look before answering, “She’s still unconscious, but I will definitely let you know when she wakes up. ”

“Thanks! See you around.”

☪ ☪ ☪

The first thing Haise really noticed glancing from outside Mado’s glass doors was the sharply dressed man sitting on the sofa. He was wearing a mauve colored three-piece suit with small hounds tooth patterns on it. It looks expensive; no, he knows it’s expensive because it is tailored perfectly to fit the man.

Mado led them into his office and shook hands with the stranger, exchanging a greeting. He then looked at Haise and motioned him to come closer. “Haise, this is your new psychiatrist, Doctor Shuu Tsukiyama. He will also help consult with the cases we are working on.”

The man turned around and looked at Haise. His new psychiatrist extended a hand towards him. Haise noticed how the man was about a head taller than him with broad shoulders, slim waist, expertly styled hair and all Haise can say is the first thing that popped in his head, “Wow, you look like a model. I feel underdressed now.”

Haise smiled at the man as he shook the extended hand. He looked at the doctor’s cool gaze staring at him. Those eyes were a little too bright, a little too pretty with long lashes and he was staring at him a little too long. He quickly broke eye contact, embarrassed with the ogling and with what he just said. That’s not how you treat someone professionally now, is it? There’s just something about this man that was very… peculiar. No, it wasn’t with the way he dressed or how handsome he is. Something else.

“Do forgive me. I had a rather tiring day. My name is Haise Sasaki. Nice to meet you, Doctor. Please take care of me. ”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Shuu said as he nodded.

Mado went around his desk to sit on his chair, signaling for both men to take a seat. “Doctor Kirishima referred you to him. Apparently, he was her mentor while at the university. Despite his age, he is an accomplished forensic psychiatrist both here and in Europe.“

And then Haise realized the implication of what was said, oh Touka’s…? Haise felt more embarrassed.

As if sensing his thoughts, the doctor beside him said, “Mado please, I learned as much from her as she did from me. Doctor Kirishima is a very competent psychiatrist and a good friend. When she told me about Mr. Sasaki, I told her I wanted to help.“

Haise feels as if the last half of that reply was meant more for his benefit. He really should not be so distracted by this man. There’s just something about him, about today. It feels like he is bombarded with too many stimuli one after another. He is feeling too sensitive. He can smell the subtle musk and cologne on the doctor, the empty coffee cup on Mado’s table, the stale air and sweat in the room, he can see that fuzzy blur on that—no, there’s something wrong with his eyes.

He should focus on the case and concentrate. Facts, he needs facts. In a span of a month, seven local girls, ages 17-19 with the same hair color, eyes, and body type has been missing. The eighth victim was found back in her house 2 weeks ago, they found evidence, went to the construction site, found addresses, went to Fueguchi’s house, and then the wife was dead on the porch and the husband was going to kill the daughter. Bang, bang, bang and he killed him. He needs more coffee.

Mado was briefing Doctor Tsukiyama about the Fueguchi case in the background. He wasn’t really listening until he heard his name. “So while you were indisposed, Sasaki, we got the report from the phone company that the Fueguchis received an anonymous call a few minutes before you and the fire in the house broke out. Can you tell me again what brought you to the Fueguchi residence?”

“It was a routine house to house, Mado. I was just there to make sure everything is okay. Remember the shard of metal we found on one of the victims? We were checking on all the construction sites that handled that type of metal. I was just doing rounds on the workers. And then there’s the Fueguchi residence, wife bleeding on the porch, and then the father had a knife against his daughter's neck and then... ”

Haise looked down at his hands and could see the blood on it. It was red and beautiful and it smells oh so wonderful. He wants to lap it all up. Just one taste. No one would have to know. A little taste, please. 

“Are you alright?” asked the doctor. He had his hand on Haise’s back, gently trying to rub circles to reassure and calm down the younger man.

Haise was now leaning on the palm of his hands, hiding his face. In his mind, his face was covered with blood. He just have to open his mouth and lick. Was this what Fueguchi was feeling then? No, Fueguchi was scared and anxious. He knows somebody was going to get him for some reason. For a human, murdering his wife and attempting to murder his daughter were acts of desperation. That beautiful red blood pooling on the floor is wasted. He didn’t want to hurt his daughter and he didn’t want to lap her blood on the floor. This is his own desire.

Haise quickly stood up from the chair and excused himself. He was acting fidgety. Mado was just staring at him as he left and then eyed the doctor as if saying, did you see that? “I need him to be well enough to go back looking at crime scenes but I do also respect Doctor Kirishima for telling me to leave him alone. Now doctor, can you help him? ”

Doctor Tsukiyama straightened up on his chair and looked at Mado. “We need to give him more time. A gift such as pure empathy like his is hard to handle. I can assure you that I will help him. ”

☪ ☪ ☪


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Tsukiyama and Haise interaction this time!

 

Bzzzzz Bzzzzz Bzzzz 

The sound of gentle buzzing on the side table and the blinking light illuminating the dark room woke the man up from a wonderful dream. He was hard. The dream was something that happened in the past that he has long forgotten. He just wants to go back to sleep and hope to have a continuation of the dream. The feeling of overwhelming pride and satisfaction of seeing someone so beautiful was still swelling inside his heart. He thought he has lost such powerful feelings due to—maturity.

Half naked under black silk sheets and in the middle of his California King bed, Shuu Tsukiyama had to scoot over a little less gracefully to reach his cellphone— making sure to be mindful of his erect member which will undoubtedly be taken care of after this call. He was sleeping with a smile on his face but felt it turn into a grimace as reality has decided to wake him up.

The time read 4:27 am. A certain Doctor Kirishima is calling him, interrupting a heavenly dream, on a weekend, this early. It must be— _should_ be important.

“What can I do for you this early, Touka?” came the polite but heavy voice from a man who just got roused from a much needed slumber. He usually wakes up early on weekdays when he has to work, but he allows himself a few extra hours of sleep on the weekends and special occasions.

“Ryo Fueguchi’s daughter woke up. I’m at the hospital, about to tell her what happened and what she should tell the Doves when they ask her questions. In a few hours, I bet Mado will get word and send somebody here to question her.  Haise wants to be the one to talk to her though. I think its better for an expected visit than an unexpected one.”

“Did our friend Nishiki come by to check on her? How is the girl feeling, Hinami was it?”

“He did check on her yesterday. A small injury on the neck should not be much of a problem for us… but you know we’re taking the RCQ so it’s a little different. He got her back in the drug a few days ago. The scar will stay. Tests are all faked to human normal but we can’t have her not eat human food now that she’s awake. The nurses will get suspicious. The faster we have Hinami out of the hospital and away from other humans, the safer it is for her—for all of us. “

“Do not worry. Everything will be fine. The bodies of the Fueguchi’s were taken from the scene before the house collapsed from the fire. I’m consulting on the case, they did not find any evidence saying the Fueguchis are ghouls.”

“I really do hope everything will be fine. You’ll have to tell Haise in person that she is awake. I’ll give you his address. By the way, how do you find him? “

“Personality wise, Haise is quite different from Kaneki that we know of. They smell the same though, but something is still off about him. He hides behind that smile of his way too much. I smell anxiety, stress, and fear in him. He copes with it very differently from Kaneki.” Somehow in his head, this Haise and Kaneki are still separate entities.

“Yeah, that’s Haise for you…” with a pause, and a slight hesitation in her voice, she added, “Keep him sane, will you? I’m very worried about him.” She feels as if he is falling apart again. If last time Kaneki was undone by his new ghoul biology, now, Haise will be driven into insanity by the ghouls inside his head. At least they know Haise is being fed meat by the CCG. If you add hunger to his current condition then… he will surely break. She can only hope that Shuu will be able to help him.

“Very well, I need to prepare breakfast then.”

“Fine and you owe me more of that blood beer for all this baby sitting.”

 

**☪ ☪ ☪**

 

_He was in some kind of stage with lots of people looking at him. The spotlight was on him. The same black and white checkered tiles are still there, but there were high balconies where hundreds of audiences wearing masks sat. They all look rich. They were all studying him with interest as if you would buy a piece of art or meat. He didn’t know what to do when suddenly, something big was chasing after him, trying to hit him. As he was running, he noticed he was wearing a suit. He kept on running but he stumbles and fall. He’s crying._

_THWACK! Came the sound of the huge mallet thing a few inches from his head. It created a dent on the floor._

_HAHAHAHA! Came the loud laugh of the man—thing chasing after him._

_The audience clapped, laughed, and jeered._

_HAHAHAHA! From the huge man again, he was charging him and he avoided it. Some of the audience then jumped down to the stage and were all chasing him, telling him he will buy him. He was so scared._

_An interlude._

_Now, it was raining blood. Puddles of it are now on the floor. He was standing on the stage, purposefully—confident this time. Head up, back straight, glaring at the people around him. The spotlights were focused on a man, a very peculiar man in a white suit and a mask, introducing him, calling him Master. He then feels a bursting sensation at his back; soon, he was the one who was chasing the audience. Run. Run. Run. The sound of rattling, slithering, insect like hissing were in his ears. His kagune were thrusting outward so quickly._

_HAHAHAHA! Came a loud laugh. It came from his own throat._

_His hands were bloody, covered by the juice of his prey. Blood. Blood. Blood. Flesh. Meat. Cries. Laughter. His jaws were sore from chewing meat, gnawing at bones, swallowing organs, and gobbling pieces of flesh. He was not thinking. His body is moving on its own, using pure instinct to chase, kill, and devour his prey._

_THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! His kagune was out and extended, piercing the audience like skewers, their blood like sweet sticky sauce dripping from their bodies._

_It was chaos. They were all running away. It was thrilling. He was chasing them, killing them, devouring them._

_HAHAHAHA! Another laugh came out. He was enjoying it. As he stabs and jumps, he was grabbing a severed hand, chewing on a cheek, and nibbling an ear to eat on the way as he killed, killed, killed. He did this efficiently and mercilessly. Blood, warm delicious blood everywhere!_

_And then he felt hot trails of tears run down his eyes._

Haise jerks awake with a cold sweat, leaning against a wall. It was 4:27 am. He was crying and panting hard as the remnant of his most recent nightmare is fresh from his mind. What kind of ghoul got inside his head this time? He never got this kind of dream before. Thrill and excitement was still there, his heart pounding fast. The details of the dream were fading, but the emotion was still raw in his head.

His nightmares are like his memories, elusive, dark, and out of reach. Once, he thought his former self has come to make peace with him, but the next day he thinks, it must be just his imagination. The dream must be caused by his hunger.

Through the years, he has survived mostly on self-control, coffee, and the CCG meat they send him. The problem living so far away and with dogs is that it doesn’t always get delivered in time or that it gets delivered, but the dogs get to it first.  As dreadful to think that the dogs were eating some part of a human, it is more dreadful to think about the fact that the CCG is giving him meat less frequently. Often getting delayed a few days but never weeks like this.

Without the meat, he has to stave his hunger off with coffee which sometimes can lead to him drinking 8 cups of coffee a day. In a way, he is getting his doctor recommended amount of liquids, but it is not enough. Never enough. In days like those—like now—he relies on his self-control more to keep himself sane. The hunger, the death, and the ghouls inside his head, mingle with his nightmares, and memories, makes his head troubled and bare.

He knows what happens to ghouls and half-ghouls like him when they are starved. They become a shadow of their previous self and become a slave to the desire to feed on human flesh. It is an urge so base and instinctual that to deny it requires a huge amount of self-control and perhaps insanity is an unavoidable side effect.

Self-control. He needs more of it right now. He slams a hand on the steel wall. 

He looks at the time again, 6:45 am. Time flies. He can get up now, pretend he slept and start his day but his body refuses to move. Haise is sitting on an old mattress on the floor, still leaning on the badly beaten wall. He raised his legs up to hug it and leans his head on his knees.

At times when he needs to control his urges, he retreats to this basement. This is where he goes to when he knows he really needs to get a grasp of himself. The location of this house—in the middle of nowhere is all you really need to know about it—is perfect for him. Three bedrooms, a two and a half bath, rustic country living in a few acres of land, inconspicuous, secluded, close by a river for him to fish, and equipped with a Quinque steel basement so he can tie himself on a leash.

He closed his eyes.

Something about this basement calms him down even though it was specifically designed to cage a ghoul. Maybe it’s because he knows he will not hurt others in this basement. Whenever he is here, he is reminded of the conditions on why he was allowed to get away. Every time he looks at the five Quinques hanging on the wall, he gets reminded on what he needs to do if he is in the brink of losing it. Within the confines of this basement, he feels closer to the only family he remembers. Four former half-ghoul subordinates, and his mentor’s own favorite, Yukimura 1/3.

Funny how the things he wants to forget are still fresh in his head no matter how much he wants to forget. Their blood is on his hands.

He only ever touches Yukimura, never the other four. It felt too personal, too raw for him to hold a weapon that used to smile and laugh and call him Sassan. Sometimes he fantasizes himself impaled by the five Quinques and various coated blades sticking into him. He has this image in his mind on how he specifically wants to do it, where to pierce. He grabs Yukimura, its handle within his firm grip, its weight a familiar comfort. His body is no stranger to its blade. He wants to pierce it through his… eyes.

His cellphone begins to ring. 8:01 am.

It is a call from Doctor Tsukiyama. He answers.

“Hello, Mr. Sasaki. I hope I didn’t wake you up from your sleep. I happen to be outside your house right now. A wonderful chorus of barking dogs are greeting me. I bring food. I wonder if you are awake or somewhere else at this moment?”

It took Haise a moment to absorb what the other man said amidst all the barking. He can hear the dogs from the phone but this basement is pretty much soundproof so he couldn’t have heard the knocking. “Ugh. Yes, doctor. I will be up—down in a sec. ”

Of all the time to get visitors, it has to be now. He let out a sigh and thinks it might have been a blessing in disguise. Once out from the basement, he grabbed a new shirt and splashed some water on his face. It didn’t improve how he looks, but at least he was not wearing his sweaty shirt. He realizes now how he really needs coffee.

He shushed the dogs that were all wagging their tails to see him. They want breakfast no doubt and totally forgot about the stranger knocking at the door.

He opened the door a little too quickly, eyes squinting from the bright light outside.  “Uh, hello. What brings you here, doctor?” he croaked, rubbing on his eyes.

There was something in the eyes of the doctor that looks odd; he loomed a little closely to him using the height and the intimidating rich and well-dressed presence to be invited in. The doctor said, which Haise thinks was whispered somewhat creepily, “Of course, to meet you. “

Haise stilled at that answer. Some unknown voice inside of his head tells him to slam the door at the handsome doctor’s face, another part tells him to eagerly let the doctor in. At times like these, Haise’s inadequate social skills show despite the usual accommodating and smiling attitude he has. He just stood there. It must be a few seconds of him staring and smiling with what look like a wince and a smile when the doctor finally asked, “May I come in?”

He sidestepped from the door, letting the older man in. Haise smiled and laughed apologetically, “Ahahha! Yes, of course. I’m sorry. I didn’t get much sleep. If I knew you were visiting I would have cleaned up a bit. It’s a mess with all the dogs but they are all well behaved.”

The dogs in question are now inspecting the smell of their master’s new friend. They don’t get a lot of visitors here.

 Shuu looks so out of place in the house. He is wearing a more casual ensemble today with a cream suit and brown button up shirt unbuttoned to up to three buttons from the neck. The other man looks like a million bucks and Haise looks like a used shaggy rag at a mechanic’s shop.

“Again, I apologize if I woke you up, Mr. Sasaki. I brought breakfast to say sorry.” The taller man was holding up a paper bag with containers of food in it. “I hope you accept.”

“Please, call me Haise. I appreciate the thought but I don’t—I don’t really eat breakfast. I’m-I’m more like a coffee in the morning kind of person, ” he said, embarrassed.

Nobody knows he is a half-ghoul and he intends it to stay that way. If anybody did know, it would probably be Mado (just because of Akira) but he won’t be tattling it to everyone he works with. Now this is the hard part about socializing and people who want to meet up for dinner or grab lunch. It always revolves around eating or dining somewhere, which he cannot do. He would often just decline the invitation early on.   

Surprisingly, the doctor accepted his refusal for breakfast. “Very well then Haise, at least try this. I insist,” the doctor pulled out an aluminum thermos from the bag and opened the lid. Haise can immediately smell the most wonderful smelling coffee he has probably smelled in his whole life. He’s not sure if it’s his hunger or that’s just one excellent smelling coffee. The moment the cap was twisted off, the smell wafts out and into his nostrils.

He must have been drooling or something because for a moment, the purple haired man gave the slightest twitch of his lips to form a satisfied smile.

Of course Haise will like it. Shuu has expertly added small amounts of some pureed human meat and blood in it. Kaneki never did have the best nose, he doubts Haise will be able to detect it. That and it is laced with _something_ else.

“This coffee is from beans I especially ordered from South America. It is extracted from a more exotic and rare kind of coffee bean, very hard to find in the local market. It tastes fuller, feels thicker in your mouth but it is very smooth and has that raw and distinct taste. It is a bit strong with that slight coppery taste.  Not for everybody’s taste buds, but I figure you should try it for yourself. There’s no cream or sugar on it yet. I don’t know how you like your coffee.”

“You sound like you’re selling it to me. Well, I’m buying. It smells wonderful.” Haise genuinely beamed a smile at the other man. A cup was handed to him with the heavenly coffee. The moment he sipped it, it filled his mouth with flavor and he had to close his eyes to savor the exquisite taste. It is simply the best coffee he has ever tasted in his life. He wanted to tear up a bit. He just looked down at his cup and said his thanks, embarrassed and earnest.

Shuu was staring at him seriously. Trying to get every bit of detail from Haise’s expression. He likes to watch people eat. Always have. Now, he enjoys it more when he invites humans to dinner, and unknowingly cannibalizes their own kind. It gives off that satisfaction which juxtaposes the ghouls whole position of being persecuted because they eat human meat. At his table, everybody eats human.

“Do you mind if I eat breakfast here? I’ll leave your share in the fridge so you can eat it later.” Shuu knows the dogs will probably eat it but if all goes according to plan, Haise will be craving for his cooking soon.

“Please, go ahead.” The younger man said as he was setting the table.

“I haven’t had breakfast yet but seeing that you enjoyed the coffee makes me glad. Are you really not in the mood to eat? I made us some simple protein scramble this morning.”

Haise shook his head, declining the offer again. He took a sip of his coffee and smiled against his cup. His mood is getting better. “Do you like to cook, Doctor Tsukiyama?”

“Haise, you can call me Shuu. I do enjoy cooking. You see, cooking has been a passion of mine for the longest time but I only have recently _really_ found joy in doing it.” He once forgot what a gourmet was and did not know what to do with his life. He was about to do something ridiculous that would get him and his whole family in jeopardy. Taking the RCQ drug has really made him closer to being the gourmet he wanted to be, but also more human and weak. Everything has their trade-offs. 

“Oh. Okay, Shuu.” Haise said, a little careful as if testing out the name. “That must be nice. I only know a few dishes, nothing really fancy.”

“I must invite you to a dinner party with some friends of mine then. I promise nothing vegetarian in it. ” Vegetables are not his preferred diet for his meat. It alters their taste.

“I—I’m sure the food you cook are all delicious, but I have to decline. I’m just not a social person and into dinner parties. I’ll probably just embarrass myself in front of your friends, ” the younger man said, pouring himself another cup of coffee from the thermos.

“That is why you must try to socialize like other adults. God forbid, you might find a friend,” the purple haired man said as he took a bite of his omelet.

“Sorry, but I don’t really find socializing at dinner with other people very interesting.”

“Oh, you will.” Shuu says with a hidden promise under his voice. Haise perhaps, will not have fun having dinner parties with other people, but if everything goes according to plan, he will soon be having fun eating people for dinner.

“So, why did you come here again? Not that I’m not having fun eating breakfast with you. The coffee is terrific, thank you again, but is this part of a session already? I’m sorry for just walking out yesterday at Mado’s office. Did he tell you to do a house call?”

“No, no. Our sessions will be at my office, it won’t even be an official one. I came here because Fueguchi’s daughter woke up already. Doctor Kirishima wanted me to tell you. It seems you wanted to talk to her? May I ask why?”

Haise stared at his coffee cup, contemplating, pensive. He has been thinking about her all week, worried for her sake. He even went to the hospital to bring her books as if that would help an unconscious girl. “Yes. I do. I-I feel somewhat responsible for her.”

“You don’t have to be. Her father killed her mother and was going to kill her as well. You did the right thing. What do you plan to tell her when you meet her?”

“That I want to be her surrogate father.”

 

**☪ ☪ ☪**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haise, Shuu and Hinami will become a family!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinami and Nishiki makes an appearance

At the hospital, Hinami Fueguchi was lying on her bed with a bandage on her neck. She was holding one of the books that Haise left a week before. She looks well, if not a little shy and a too wide eyed right now from crying earlier. It must be from the shock of what happened to her and just waking up after almost a week and a half of being unconscious. She’s lucky she even woke up. If they found out that she was a bleeding ghoul during the incident, they would not even take her to the hospital and she would be sent directly to Kokuria to be experimented on. Traces of the unknown RCQ drug will then be found in her system.

On the chair beside her, sits Touka telling her something in hushed tones. Hinami is her patient after all and as a fellow female, they decided it was best that she should ask her if she needs anything and tell her the news about her parents. This worked exactly to Tsukiyama’s plans. He had her monitor the girl throughout the weeks in pretense of being her patient. Of course, Touka would do it willingly even without his urging, being kind hearted that she is. They cannot let the doves nor the hospital staff find out that she is a ghoul. Even with the connection his family has over this hospital, hiding a ghoul in a human hospital is very risky. He even called in Nishio so he can be Hinami’s private physician during her stay here.

Peeking a little bit from the door before coming in, Haise entered the room with Tsukiyama close behind him. The doctor was carrying a bouquet of pink peonies in his hands while Haise had books in a paper bag. Touka acknowledged their presence with a nod of her head. She was in therapist mode and was silently observing the whole situation. She was still not convinced it was a good idea for Haise to be a surrogate father. She thinks he is trying to create a crutch to lean on with Hinami. Once inside the room, Haise carefully said, “Hello, Hinami. I’m Haise Sasaki. Do you remember me?”

She looked a little surprised to see him. It’s as if they were just talking about him and he showed up. “Hello. Yes, I remember you. You were the one who… saved me.”

He was a little surprised by that. He would think that the first thing he is to her would be the one who killed her father and made her an orphan. She looks so young and innocent. Sheltered was perhaps the right word for it. He would never believe that she has anything to do with the murders her father did like Mado have suggested. His boss wanted her to get to the bottom of the case.

He remembers how close her age is to the Quinx when he started to mentor them. Something inside of him longs for family. The Quinx became his family after he lost his memories. Now that his squad was no more, he was forming his own alternative to it by collecting stray dogs. Touka once told him in a session that it was his way to surround himself with family. He empathized with stray dogs that did not have a home because he didn’t have memories during his younger years. He did not have a home to go back to.

Feeling the awkward silence, the girl meekly shifted to look at the other man behind Haise and then glanced at Touka. She responded with a nod as if urging her to continue and talk to the new people at the room. They will be a like a family after all.

“These are for you. Peonies to promote healing of not only the body but also the soul,” Shuu said gently as he placed the bouquet of flowers at the side table. “My name is Shuu Tsukiyama. I am a therapist like Doctor Kirishima, although, I am here for purely personal reasons. How are you feeling, Hinami? ”

Hinami nodded her head and said, “It’s nice to meet you Doctor Tsukiyama and Mr. Sasaki. I am feeling fine. I thank you both for taking care of me while I was unconscious. “ She then looked at Haise, “Doctor Kirishima told me that you brought these books for me,” and then looked at the other older doctor, “ And you have arranged for my needs here at the hospital. Thank you again.”

“That is no problem, little Hinami. We are happy to help, ”Shuu tenderly said. Politeness and showing gratitude is something becoming of the little lady. He knows he will like Hinami Fueguchi.

Her voice was a little raspy but talking is always good step to start coping. Tsukiyama knows that she is a strong woman and will cope despite what happened to her family. “ I-I will try my best to cooperate and tell you what I know about my father. We were close b-but I don’t know anything about what he did to those girls… He was nice until the moment he killed my mom and was about to kill me. He told me he would make everything bad go away. I—I…” Her hands were shaking and her eyes shining with unshed tears.

Haise furrowed his eyebrows in worry. He doesn’t need to ask questions about the incident right now. She just woke up after all and just found out she is an orphan. He feels— _knows_ that Hinami is innocent. At least he wants to believe that. ”That can wait Hinami. You should rest first.” To change the mood, he smiled and asked, “ I see you’re reading the book I gave you. Do you like it? I didn’t know what you liked to read but I figured you would like that.”

Hinami smiled shyly and looked down, “Sen Takatsuki is my favorite author. I haven’t read this book of hers yet. Thank you very much for lending it to me.”

Haise beamed at her. At least he did something good for someone today. “That is great! I have more books here with me that you can read. “ He lifted the paper bag on his hands and left it at her side table. “I didn’t know if you liked the first books I brought so this batch has a variety of genres. And less uhm— less tragedy.” Haise looked at the doctor beside him. The doctor chastised him when they were at the bookstore because he was planning to buy more tragic books to give to the girl. He then decided to buy a variety of genres that a girl her age might like.

Sensing what Haise was on about, Tsukiyama said, “I have read that Takatsuki book as well, although as a therapist, I would say that that book is a little too morbid to read right now. However, since we are all book enthusiasts here and favor the same author, I think it will do.”

“Eh, doctor, you like reading her novels too? I would take you as a lover of classic literature and not some dark tragic novels. You know all about flower meanings and all,” Haise said eagerly. It seems like he is learning more new things about his psychiatrist. They were in the flower shop earlier and he was impressed by the other man’s knowledge with flowers. Maybe they can be friends just how he and Touka are friends.

“Well, I am a man of varied interest and an avid reader. Sen Takatsuki was the favorite book of a— _friend._ I find tragedies have a certain charm to them. When reading her works, I often find myself thinking what I could have done to prevent that tragedy from happening. Ah that reminds me, I still have to lend you that book about flowers you asked about earlier.”

Blushing, the girl on the bed piped up with a lighter mood, “I like Sen Takatsuki’s books but I think flowers are interesting as well! I-I would like to borrow that book too. These peonies are very beautiful.”

“Why certainly, little lady. I also have a whole library of books waiting to be read. ” Tsukiyama gave an assuring smile. He is growing fond of this girl. Touka has told Hinami the whole truth though and she was playing along well. He first thought of her as a nuisance jeopardizing their RCQ distribution but now, she is simply an endearing child. He will enjoy grooming her to be a lady as well as a way for Haise to become more… cooperative.

Haise laughed, “Well we can all talk about books and flowers all day. I think Hinami will not mind having two surrogate fathers that likes to read.”

Hinami responded with a big smile. 

While driving here to the hospital, Shuu explained Hinami’s situation to Haise. He of course withheld the information that she and her whole family are ghouls in hiding. He told him that he was already Hinami’s surrogate father and admits to being some sort of philanthropist when it comes to tragic situations like this.  He talked about the strong responsibility he felt to help Hinami. Haise replied that he feels the same.

Touka was still in the room, surprised at how all this was developing. The three of them might just work out. It might just act like a group therapy. She was afraid of co-dependency and leaning on each other’s hurt and trauma. From the looks of it, they might just pull each other up.

“I am still worried about you though. You still look a little pale,” Shuu was directing his attention to the girl on the bed. “Has the doctor visited you yet when you woke up?” Shuu asked, aiming the question more to Touka who was silently observing them from her seat beside the bed. He wants to know if Nishiki came by and checked on her yet.

 “The doctor did. He said I needed rest and I need to eat… to replenish my energy,” Hinami trailed off. Not sure what to say knowing someone at the room did not know she was a ghoul.

Touka then stood up and said, “He was here earlier. He said everything was fine with her. A few more days of rest and she can be discharged. I have to see if he is still here and ask if we can discharge her sooner. It seems it best for Hinami to be out of the hospital and discharged under a guardian’s care.” With that, she said her good bye to everyone in the room and left. She needs to find Nishiki.

 

**☪ ☪ ☪**

 

Growing up poor, Nishiki has gotten used to the cheap black coffee you buy at vending machines or convenience stores. He’s not used to all that expensive home grounded coffee Tsukiyama has been offering him or even the nostalgic and homely brew that the Manager at Anteiku used to make.

He is sitting on a bench outside the open grounds of the psychiatric hospital he was called into. He is not officially a doctor, he did not go to medical school, but he is recognized as one in the ghoul world. Also, he is every bit as competent—if not more—as those shitty fucks that got their degrees in those overly expensive medical schools. Fuck them.

He was a pharmacy dropout during college and never bothered to finish the degree after the fall of Anteiku. Whatever they teach at the university, he was able to teach himself and with the Tsukiyama connections—that rich bastard— he was able to build an underground reputation as the Serpent Doctor.

The discovery of the drug was his dream. It was the fulfillment of his and his sister’s desire to be able to live peacefully with the humans and not be detected. Technically, you could be detected. Yes, you were still a ghoul but you no longer have to puke every time you eat human food or beep whenever you pass by a ghoul sensor. Don’t make them use their kagunes though, there are still some issues with that but he is currently working on it.

The bad thing about all this RCQ business is being fucking summoned every time some ghoul pretending to be a human is injured or in an accident. They are so careful in distributing the RCQ drug that they have a list of regulars and their families who uses it. It’s not like they try to control the lives of other ghouls. They are just being extra careful because one slip of the existence of the drug and so many ghouls who have integrated into society will be jeopardized. The system is patterned to how Anteiku used to provide meat for ghoul families who did not wish to hunt in the 20th ward. Only this time, they also have the RCQ.

And now this brings back to why he is sipping his cheap coffee in the hospital grounds, wearing a white lab coat with a fake name pinned on it of a doctor who actually went to fucking medical school. This is all thanks, no doubt, to that rich bastard again and his family connections.

He is the primary physician for Hinami Fueguchi, a child of Ryo and Ryouko Fueguchi both ghouls who wished to live with humans and use the RCQ. They sometimes help their little organization collect cadavers to distribute within ghoul families. Ryo apparently was not collecting random bodies of suicide and accident victims, he was actually killing and picking them. It was not bad for ghoul standards but the problem was that he caught the attention of the Doves and he panicked. Now, the reason he killed his wife and was about to kill his daughter was all on him.

Hinami is not really a child anymore, she’s 17 years old but she is a shy and quiet 17 year old. One more year and she is considered an adult. As her doctor, he found nothing wrong about the girl—except that she attracts trouble way too much. Hinami’s father killed 8 humans that looks like her making the Doves suspect something and jeopardize all their hard fucking work hiding the RCQ, murdered her mother, attempted to kill her, and he was shot and killed by the worst fucking possible Dove ever—Haise Sasaki.

Great. More Trouble.

Haise Sasaki, aka Ken Kaneki is practically a black sheep in the ghoul world. The mere fact he wasn’t dead yet by the CCG’s hands _or_ the Aogiri’s _or_ the Clown’s was unexpected. They all ignore him after their last botched attempt to use him. The man practically smells like a female ghoul in Dove clothing and any ghoul with a decent nose and half a brain would be tipped off to stay away.

He remembers the naïve, black haired Kaneki at Anteiku and how idealistic and stupid the guy was. He then remembers white haired vigilante Kaneki and how idealistic _and_ stupid he still was to run to his death to save Anteiku. Tsukiyama was a wreck after that. He has to admit that it was a fucking bad break up. He somehow understands how Tsukiyama felt then and have felt bad for the guy.

Kaneki was Tsukiyama’s Kimi. No matter how many years it has been, no matter what he does, Nishiki will never forget that fine woman. He imagines Tsukiyama feels the same for Kaneki, albeit he is trying his best to act more decent and human now instead of his old dramatic self.

He bets Tsukiyama is trying to deny those feelings now and try to reassess Haise. That is actually smart as Haise is a completely new person. However, he can guess the outcome already. The rich bastard will probably just fall head over heels in love again. Nishiki can see that and _he_ wasn’t the fucking shrink nor the fucking empath. Stupid Shitty-yama and Haise-neki.

After all that happened it is so funny how their fates will intertwine again in completely different circumstances now. The incident at the church was just hilarious now. At the end of all of it, he owes his life to both Kaneki and Tsukiyama.

He hears coins jingle down into the vending machine near the bench he was sitting on and hears a can being dispensed. He can smell her coming closer. The can clicks open.

Touka sat beside Nishiki, drinking her skinny latte in a can.

“They’re talking with Hinami right now. I gave the three of them some privacy. Apparently, I was correct and Haise wants to become Hinami’s surrogate father. He feels responsible for her being an orphan. He didn’t know Tsukiyama already claimed responsibility over her and was already her surrogate father way before him. Guess they’re a unit now.”

They fall in a comfortable silence.

She knows Hinami won’t be immediately allowed to leave the psychiatric hospital even with the doctor’s advice. The girl was still under observation and she is a possible witness to locate the missing girls. The Doves will not want her out of their grasp that easily. They won’t get anything from her though. This case will turn cold soon.

The older man broke the silence. “They can do whatever the hell they want. I really do not want to get involved with that Haise. He is trouble. I don’t know what Tsukiyama sees in him or wants to see in him.” Nishiki side eyes Touka who was quietly looking at the distance holding her drink. He forgot that she also has _or had_ feelings for Kaneki. He is not so sure about now though. She practically gave Haise’s reins to Tsukiyama already.

“I’m sure they will be fine. Haise needs an anchor right now and Shuu needs someone to hold down. As for Hinami, having two supportive figures to care for her will be the best despite Haise not knowing she is a ghoul. Besides, they hit it off pretty well. All three of them are talking about books and flowers and dogs as if the three of them were meant to be. It’s like Shuu found the cheese he kept on talking about when we were all younger. I felt like an intruder, I had to excuse myself. They can’t be possibly bad for her.”

Nishiki observes the younger ghoul, is that jealousy he sees? For who though? Was it for Haise, Tsukiyama or Hinami? He did not voice out of his question. All he did was to move his almost empty coffee can closer to hers to toast, “Well I wouldn’t want to disturb them either. Let’s toast to them, then. We have to find our own cheese in life. You can make cheese from spoiled curdled milk after all.”

 

**☪ ☪ ☪**


End file.
